Crimping apparatus



Nov. 22, 1960 E. H. sHATTucK 'CRIMPING APPARATUS Filed June 13, 1957 2 Sheets-Shee 1 Nov. 22, 1960 E. H. sHATTUcK CRIMPING APPARATUS 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed June 13, 195'? /Nl/E/vrO/Q WA/e7 H. IHA Truc/f United States Patent CRIMPING APPARATUS Filed June 1s, 1957, ser. No. 665,518

6 claims. (ci. 19-66) f This invention relates to apparatus for imparting an artificial crimp to textile fibers and more particularly to crimping apparatus of the stufer crimper type.

An object is to provide a novel and improved means to control the crimp in an apparatus of the above type.

Another object is to provide novel and improved means to control the pressure on the mass of crimped material in the crimper chamber.

A more specific object is to provide a feed control for maintaining a constant feed pressure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed.

l In accordance with the present invention the feed rolls are driven by a mechanism capable of delivering a constant torque which determines the pressure on the packed fibers in the crimping chamber. The crimped filaments may be withdrawn from the chamber at a constant rate filament 19 is fed into the crimping chamber to be folded over and crimped against the mass of crimped filaments held compacted in the tube 14.

The filaments 19 are guided to the bite of the feed rolls 18 by a guide 20 mounted in the bracket 11 from a tensioning device 21 which exerts a friction drag on the filament suited to maintain a uniform feed. An electric heating unit 22 is disposed in the block 10 to supply heat to the filaments in the tube 14 for setting the crimp.

One of the feed rolls 18 is mounted on a shaft 25 which is journaled in bearings 26 in the bracket 11. A hollow pulley 27 is journaled on ball bearings 28 on the shaft 25. The pulley 27 has a peripheral wall 30 carrying a drive belt 31 which is driven from va pulley 32 on the drive'shaft 33 of a motor 34.

l The pulley 27 has an end wall 35 carrying permanent magnets 36 which are disposed to produce a magneticV drag on discs 37 of permeable material attached to the shaft 25. The discs 37 may be adjusted to vary the gap with the magnets 36 in accordance with the torque to be produced by the hysteresis effect in the disc. The pulley 27 is closed by a removable end wall 39 journaled on the and the pressure is maintained constant by variations in :u:

the rate of feed into the chamber by the feed rolls.

More specifically the feed rolls are driven through a constant torque clutchv such as a magnetic clutch which is adjusted to deliver a constant torque at a predetermined maximum torque.

The arrangement is such that when the chamber is i provided to interrupt the withdrawal ofthe filaments when the packed mass falls below a predetermined level in the chamber as would be the case if the take-up rolls were operating faster than the feed rolls. This permits the feed rolls to operate to maintain the chamber filled and under a predetermined pressure at all times.

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which certain specific embodiments have been set forth for purposes of illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a crimping apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the delivery end of a stuffer crimper showing a spring-pressed closure ball;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the delivery end of a stuffer crimper showing a sleeve closure member;

Fig. 4 is a similar detail view on a larger scale il lustrating a further embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through a modified drive mechanism in which the magnetic clutch forms a part of one of the feed rolls.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the invention is shown in Fig. 1 as embedded in a stuier crimper comprising a block 10 mounted on a bracket 11 and having a vertical bore in which a sleeve 12 is secured as by a press fit. A tube 14 forming the crimping chamber extends through the sleeve 12 and is secured by a clamp nut 15. At its lower end the tube 14 is formed with a saddle registering with the bite of a pair of feed rolls 1.8, one of which is shown in Fig. 1 between which a shaft 25 by ball bearings 40.

A gear 41 on the shaft 25 meshes with a similar gear on a shaft not shown driving the second feed roll.

A plug 45 having a bore 46 rests on the mass of crimped filaments in the tube 14 and rises or falls with the level of such material. The upward movement of the plug 45 is limited by an adjustable stop 47 carried by Ya flange of a support 48 which is adjustably mounted by means of a screw 49 on a bracket 50 attached to the. block 10. A microswitch 51 is mounted on a flange 52 of the support 48 in a position to be actuated by a flange 53 on the plug 45 at the lower limit of the range of movement of the plug 45. The crimped filament is withdrawn from the top of the tube 14 through the bore 46 of the plug 45 onto a constant speed Winder having a bobbin 55 resting upon and driven by a roll 56.

In operation the shaft 25 is driven at a speed to feed the filament into the lower end of the tube 14 at a faster -rate than the rate of withdrawal by the Winder 56. When the packed mass of crimped filaments reaches a level in the tube 14 to push the plug against the stop 47 the back pressure exerted against the feed of material into the tube by the feed rolls 18 rises, thus requiring an increased torque on the shaft 33. The maximum torque however is limited by the characteristics of the hysteresis clutch within the pulley 27 so that the rate of feed by the feed rolls 18 decreases or is interrupted in extreme eases due to slippage of the clutch.

This limits the feed of material into the crimping chamber without requiring actual slippage between the feed rolls and the filament which would tend to injure the filaments.

As the constant speed winding continues to withdraw the filament at a constant rate the back pressure is reduced until a balance is reached between the feed and the withdrawal which maintains a constant pressure on the packed mass of material.

If the Winder should operate at a rate to withdraw the filaments at a rate in excess of the maximum rate of feed by the feed rolls, or if the feed should be interrupted, the level of the mass is lowered until the plug 45 engages and actuates the microswitch 51 which is connected to stop the apparatus. Such stoppage would indicate defective operation which will require attention by an operator.

Fig. 2 shows a further embodiment wherein the crimping chamber is inverted and the plug 45 is replaced by a ball 60 resting on the tube 14 at the discharge end and spring-pressed by a spring 61 into pressure engagement therewith. The tension on the spring 61 may be ad- Patented Nov. 22, 1960 3 justed by a cap Vscrew 62. The crimped filament is withdrawn between the end of the tube and the ball 60. The apparatus is otherwise similar to that described above.

In this form of device the pressure on the mass of crimped filaments in the crimping chamber is determined by spring-pressure provided the spring pressure is less than the maximum feed pressure as determined by the torque characteristics of the hysteresis clutch. If the spring pressure is higher than the maximum feed pressurethe ball 60 serves as a stop for the material-and as agate to remove knots or kinks, as the filament is withdrawn.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3'the plug 45 isrepla'ced by a sliding cap 65 having'a sleeve '66 which'sldes on the outer surface of the tube 14 at its discharge-end. The cap 65engages a stop 67 on a bracket 68 to limit its upward movement. The bracket 68 also carries a friction drag 69 through which the filament is withdrawn.

The sleeve 66 has a flange 69 adapted to actuate a microswitch 70 in its lower position for stopping `the apparatus as above described.

In this embodiment the cap 65 serves to limit the back pressure on the filaments as in Fig. 1 and also serves as a cooling chamber to cool the crimped filaments below the setting temperature before they are withdrawn from the chamber. The remainder of the apparatus is identical with that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment wherein a cap 75 is screwed onto the top of the tube 14 to provide a fixed cooling chamber from which the filament is withdrawn through'the opening 76. A leaf spring 77 is disposed within the tube 14 to be depressed against the surface of the tube by the pressure exerted by the mass of crimped material within the tube. The spring is connected to actuate a microswitch 78 to stop the apparatus whenthe level of the mass of material in the tube 14 falls to 'a pointk to release the spring 77. The operation is otherwiseidentical with that of Fig. l.

`Fig. 5 illustrates a modified form of drive wherein the hysteresis clutch is formed between the drive shaft and the feed roll.

lIn this form the drive shaft 80 carries a belt pulley 81 by which it is driven from a belt 82. The shaft 80 also carries a sleeve 83 forming a part of an annular member 84 having a plurality of magnetic poles 85.

The feed roll 86 is journaled on ball bearings 87 on the shaft 80 and carries a ring 88 of high permeable magnetic material positioned to coact with the pole pieces 8S. A washer 89 determines the gap between the ring 88 iat the pole pieces 85. This washer is selected to effect the desired torque on the roll 86. A gear 90 on the shaft is connected to drive a similar shaft (not shown) carrying the second feed roll. The remainder of the apparatus and the operation are similar to that above described.

What is claimed is:

l. Apparatus for imparting an artificial crimp to textile filaments, comprising a crimping and setting chamber adapted to contain a mass of crimped filaments, means including a feed roll disposed to` feed the filaments into one end of said chamber against the mass of crimped filaments therein and to exert pressure to cause the mass to advance along said chamber, closure means closing the other end of said chamber against the discharge of said mass, take-up means for withdrawing the crimped filament under tension in filament form from said other end of said chamber, drive means for said feed roll and a constant torque member interconnecting said drive means and said feed 'roll whereby the pressure on said mass is limited by the torque characteristics of said member.

2. Crimping apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said torque member is a magnetic clutch.

3. Crimpingapparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said torque member is a hysteresis clutch.

4. Crimping apparatus as setV forth in claim l in which said closure member. is a plug -sliding in said chamber and resting against the mass of crimped material therein and a fixed stop member is connected to limit the movement of said plug in response to the'pressure of said material.

5. Crimping apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said closure member is a cup having a sleeve sliding around the outside of said chamber and fixed stop means is provided to limit the'movement of said sleeve in response'to thev pressure of'said mass of material.

6. Crimping apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a sliding member rests upon the mass of material in said chamber, fixedV stop means is provided to limit the movement of said member in response to the pressure of said material, and a microswitch connected to interrupt the action of said take-up means is positioned to be actuated by said sliding member at a predetermined lower level of said mass of material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,607,820 Judd et al. Aug. 19, 1952 2,760,252 Shattuck Aug. 28, 1956 2,807,734 Lehde Sept. 24, 1957 

